WORDS - What does it mean to speak inclusively

The words we use always have an impact. They can express encounter, care and attention. But they can also express the opposite: closure, hostility, or indifference. Even if we're not always aware of them, they make a difference.

Today the language we speak is changing. New voices in public discourse are emerging, sensibilities are changing, on issues such as gender, minorities, mental health. The debate around inclusive language starts here.

What we’re aiming to do in this podcast is to provide a way into the complexities involved in transforming the language to become more inclusive. We want to go on a journey of exploration, knowledge and awareness.

What is silent language? Can the words we use and the grammatical forms they take be transformed to reflect changing sensibilities? Are some ways of speaking about different issues more “correct” than others? And if so, what are they?

These are some of the questions that will be guiding us on this journey. We’ll be meeting with guests from the world of linguistics and sociological research, with writers, educationalists, carers, teachers and activists, to help make us better informed, and to make more inclusive choices in terms of the language we use.